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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fork — in a road
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. mug — a face
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com